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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — in music
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com